Teen arrested at Temecula Valley High

TEMECULA —— Police arrested a 17-year-old Temecula Valley High
student Friday after reportedly finding in his possession
marijuana, a knife and a note threatening to burn down the
school.

School officials had detained the teen, whose name was not
released because of his age, in the office after allegedly finding
him with marijuana and a knife, Temecula police Sgt. Rick Zerkel
said.

A school police officer called to the campus about 2:10 p.m.
found that the boy had the marijuana and knife in his backpack,
which had been left in a classroom, Zerkel said.

Earlier, the student became aware that a drug-sniffing dog owned
by a private company was on the campus searching for illegal drugs,
the sergeant said. The teen was able to get to the classroom and
remove those items from the backpack, but was detained by campus
security officers and sent to the office, police said.

The school resource officer found the marijuana and knife on the
student along with a note, Zerkel said. The note expressed the
teen's unhappiness with being taken to the office and in it he
threatened to burn down the school, the sergeant said.

The boy was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana,
possession of a knife on a school campus, and threatening a school
site or official, Zerkel said. He was booked at Southwest Juvenile
Hall in French Valley, the sergeant said.